Kira's Noose
by Jestie Uchiha
Summary: Life is cruel but death is crueler. Avaron Yagami, now at the mercy of past memories, recalls her time as Kira. She also recalls Kira's downfall; L. For killers, relationships are a rope and love is the noose. With her two friends as the rope, L was Kira's noose. This is the story to how the snare was tied. Slight AU. LxOc-Kira
1. Prologue: Facts of Death

**Kira's Noose**

**A/n: **Don't own Death Note. _Also, this was actually posted AFTER the first chapter… but since no one had liked it yet, anyway, I figured no one would notice. This note is just in case._

_Story Genre: Romance, Angst, Suspense, Supernatural, and Crime._

**Prologue: Facts of Death**

Death hadn't quite been what she had expected it to be. When the Death God had told her that it would be nothingness, she had pictured it being as though she no longer existed. She imagined being there without a conscious thought or emotion. Mu was nothing like that.

She still had her physical appearance, looking just as she had when she died, but she was not solid. She could only see herself, and miles of darkness around her. It was like being trapped in a dark room with only her body as a dim, human flashlight. It felt oddly suffocating despite its apparent large range, and would undoubtedly drive claustrophobic people insane.

The air in Mu was heavy, dense with tension and sorrow. Things were whispered in her ear, created by her own mind in the solitude. They were terrible things, things that scared her. Memories that might have been bad before were now downright horrifying, and they were on a constant repeat. Past decisions mocked her, emotions betrayed her… in Mu, positive emotions were not allowed. Good memories became sorrowful, nothing held happiness.

Occasionally, as she walked futilely in the darkness, she would see flashes of other souls. Their naked bodies were sometimes mutated, and other times they were perfectly intact like hers was. She would see a glimpse of their face, and it would give her hope. Hope that she wasn't alone. Of course, even if the other soul noticed her and they walked towards each other, they would merely become farther apart. The harder she tried, the more the other person would fade into the darkness before vanishing altogether. The experience always left her crushed, with the concept of being alone refreshed.

Her image scowled bitterly.

Hope was a twisted, sick emotion. It was now no wonder that it had been locked away in a box with all the other evils in existence. Not only was it dark, it was deceitful. It appeared to be noble and faithful, but it was deadly when it was invalid or misplaced. Hope was what got her stuck here in the first place.

She honestly didn't know if she preferred having hope or not. Having hope left one vulnerable to crushing disappointment. It was a stoic act of desperation. However, having no hope made an individual depressed and resigned, as she was now.

When she was alive, she hadn't known her hope had been futile. She hadn't known that it would get her killed. Her faith that she could elude the fate of those whose destiny got entwined with the Death Note… it had been foolish. She had been lying to herself. That's what hope usually was, though, she had come to realize. It was lying to oneself.

She suffered for it now. Every day, she reflected on past actions and morals. Many of her accomplishments now did little more but anger or sadden her. Death certainly did change her.

She was no longer lazy, as she had once been. She rarely stopped walking in Mu, for stillness gave her the impossible feeling of drowning. She had also come to terms with facts she had ignored when alive. While living, she had preached that Kira would delay the corruption of the world; like a mother attempting to slow the corruption of her child by preventing inappropriate movies, despite the fact said child would later on watch porn with his friends. Not only was it futile, it was hypocritical, for the mother also watched inappropriate movies.

She had been filth. Humans were filth, and being human, she was not immune to that same fate. Her attempts at delaying corruption perhaps even quickened it. She, as Kira, was a murderer, a vile maggot. It was a fact she had not realized until Mu, and it haunted her with every step she took into oblivion.

The worst part of Mu was how completely and utterly _lonely_ she felt. She constantly felt the desire to weep. She felt as though she would; her chest ached, her throat constricted, and her eyes stung. Yet the tears never fell. She was not physical; her body had lost all its quirks. She could not laugh, cry, or even talk.

She was desperate for company. Anyone's, it didn't matter who at this point. She thought of her friends, her family, _him_… oh, how she longed for _him_.

Kira knew well of the rules of a killer. It was not free-reign, as most assumed; there were conditions. The most important one was to not be vulnerable. Connections were liabilities.

_Relationships are a rope and love is the noose._

Kira, as an experienced killer, knew this well. She had, in fact, both lived and died with the consequences of that rule. Relationships bound you, constricted your movements by their chance of endangering or arising suspicion. Love was the same, a weakness to be exploited. Only it was worse… people did _dangerous _things for those they loved. Killers could not afford such dangers. It was to Kira's misfortune that she had greatly entangled herself in ropes, ending up with the noose tied directly around her neck.

She had not only fallen in love, but she had fallen in love with perhaps the worst person for her to have fallen in love with. It made what was originally dangerous, full on deadly. Worst part was: she didn't even know if he loved her back. She had never found out. It had always been too risky, and by the time she confessed, it was too late.

The memory of _him _haunted her most. Every action against him angered her. Every action for him depressed her. She regretted not knowing if he returned her feelings, but in a sense, felt happier not knowing, anyway. She was a killer, he was true justice. There was a high chance of him hating her. Remaining in the eternal knowledge of him hating her would be the worst torture.

It was partly the reason she was in Mu now. She knew she didn't have a chance, with him or otherwise. Even if she had given up her memories, she had already been the main suspect. They would have found out eventually, and she would have been imprisoned for something she didn't remember doing. She knew he would always suspect her, making attempting to truly get close futile. Overall, there had been no hope to lead a life with him.

The events of her death were her greatest acts of love, and she suffered for it eternally. She was left to wander Mu, wondering if he could've ever returned her feelings. What would it have been like to be by his side?

Her soul stopped walking, and she immediately felt as though she were being crushed. Wave upon wave of her worst memories hit her. Dark sorrows left forgotten by the living crashed down on her form. The voices started whispering again. They repeated malicious reminders, ideas, and forethoughts; many, but not all, were her own. She tried to ignore it at first, but was eventually outdone by the formless demons. She began to walk, the sadistic echoes fading into memory.

Perhaps if he hadn't come along, things would have been different. The overall outcome would be the same, as a Death Note owner, it was inevitable. Mu was an inescapable fate. Nevertheless, could her time in Mu have been more bearable? She knew for a fact her time on Earth would have been lengthened.

Thinking of her only two friends on earth, she decided no. She still would have suffered, and even if it would've been slightly less, she wouldn't have known that. She wondered vaguely what had happened to them after she died. Where they still safe? If they had died, she could only hope that they hadn't met her fate. Then again, hope had never been very reliable.

Her life had been one giant screw-up. Her emotions and ideals had gotten the better of her. The only good thing about her death is she died knowing that, if only temporarily, her loved ones were safe.

Reminiscences buzzed inside her head. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. She knew this for a fact to be true. She, not for the first time, and definitely not for the last, began to recall her time as Kira.

Her past memories, good or bad, were all she had in this void realm.

* * *

**Done! So, please, tell me what you think!**

**_REVIEW PLEASE!_**


	2. Rotten Apple

**Kira's Noose**

**A/n: **_I don't own Death Note. Avaron is an Oc, my version of a female Kira (Light). Personally, I think I mixed a bit of my personality with Light's when I was making her. This will, eventually, become an AU story. It's for the better, though_

_Story Genre: Romance, Angst, Suspense, Supernatural, and Crime._

**Chapter One: Rotten Apple**

Society was disgusting. Litter and pollution, corrupt minds and greed… it was inescapable. Civilization was an inherent scam. While on the outside everything seemed generally pleasant-save for the occasional criminal-, the inside was anything but. The inner-workings of humanity were twisted and evil, too dark for the average mind to comprehend.

Avaron Yagami did not have the average mind. She was clever, and observant. She saw through the petty lies of life. She understood that it was not Earth itself that was corrupt; it was the _humans _residing in it. Humanity was the ultimate toxin.

Avaron's mind drifted to an old story her mother used to tell her. Was it really possible to have avoided all the evil in the world by simply keeping a box closed? It would be nice, having a pure world. Yet, the story itself contradicted. Had there been no flaws in the world, Pandora would have been obedient, despite any curiosity. The story, like humanity, was a rotten scam.

Bored, hazel eyes wandered from the chalkboard to the window. It sickened her; the nature of humans, and how it never seemed to change. Her father believed in Justice, but what was justice, really? It was merely a glorified version of revenge. Not to say she didn't believe in getting even, because she did. She just didn't see the point of saying that the revenge was for the overall greater good.

Avaron sighed. Everything was dull to her. Life contained no excitement, no adventure. It was depressing how often she was bored. As a result, she slept more often than was considered necessary or healthy. This included school.

While at first teachers tried to get her to stop, they soon realized it was hopeless. Eventually they let her sleep all she wanted as long as she maintained good grades. Being the class genius, she remained superior effortlessly.

Yawning, she put her head down and was asleep in seconds.

* * *

A shrill, rapid ring alerted Avaron that school had ended. The girl lifted her head, irritated with how tedious the day turned out. She would never expect entertainment when she crawled out of bed in the morning, but she would expect her friend. Unfortunately, Jaaku had been absent today.

Avaron scowled as she shuffled out of the stuffy classroom. The eighteen year old found herself irrationally angry with her friend for leaving her. Avaron may've been quite popular, but the only person whose presence she truly enjoyed was Jaaku's.

Exiting the school, Avaron admitted to herself that she was overreacting. She merely felt anxious today. Normally, she was a bit more playful. Not outrageously so, but still more than today.

Nearing the property exit, she almost didn't hear the dull thud. Pausing, she turned her head towards the sudden sound. Retracing her steps, she noticed a black object lying on the ground. Curiosity got the best of her.

_Death Note._

Avaron stared at the book for a while. What was "Death Note" supposed to mean? She flipped it back and forth, in search for some sign of ownership. Finding none, she opened the book with a shrug.

_The person whose name is written in this notebook shall die._

If Avaron had been rational, she would have laughed. Instead, she found her interest forever captured. She skimmed the rest of the rules.

Avaron, while generally having a realistic look on prospects, was quite superstitious. She believed in unrealistic beings. The thought of the supernatural appealed to her; therefore, if for nothing other than her own hope to have her boredom eased, she believed in the existence of thing like monsters and alternate realities. It was, up until that moment, merely a thought to occupy her ingenious mind. Now, however, there seemed to be solid proof of such illogic. If it wasn't a joke, that is. She doubted it was; after all, who would put the thought or the time into something most people would find foolish?

Her subconscious made the decision before she did. Cramming the notebook into her bag, she resolved in testing it later. If it was a hoax, no harm done. If it wasn't a hoax... well, it's not like she was going to write her own name.

With the Death Note safely tucked away, she continued her journey home. As she walked, her mind stayed on the notebook. She was wondering who to kill and hoping it was real.

* * *

"I'm home!" Avaron announced, determined to not stop until she reached her destination. In return, she received greetings which she had no qualms with disregarding.

Entering her room, she turned on the television. Switching to the news, a channel that, before today, she had never bothered with, she watched intently. She began to look for a victim.

_Name and face, name and face. That's all I need, just a name and a face. God, I really hope this works…_

She took a deep breath. The news broadcast of current was about a nursery hostage situation. The perpetrator was a middle aged man, and her first test subject. She quickly wrote down his name in tight, stiff letters.

_Kurou Otoharada._

The seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. Avaron nibbled on the inside of her pale pink lip anxiously, waiting for the result.

_… 38, 39, 40_

"Damn-it… it was nothing but a fake, after all. I suppose I really shouldn't get my hopes up with stupid things…" she murmured to herself. However, before she managed to turn off the TV, they made a sudden announcement that froze her in her place.

Kurou Otoharada had died, and the hostages had been released.

Slowly, her eyes returned to normal size. Looking down at the notebook in hand, a smirk played her features.

Avaron didn't even consider the chance it was a coincidence. Once Kurou died, she was convinced. Even if it had been a coincidence, it would be safer acting as though it hadn't been. So, from the moment that man's heart stopped, her uprising had begun.

She would be lenient. She was never one for laws, anyway. She would only kill those that personally disgusted her. If she killed off the most corrupted humans, she could slow the degrading of the world. It wouldn't be perfect, it could never be prefect as long as there were humans, but it could be better.

The death of Kurou brought out the inner darkness she kept hidden from her peers. Only Jaaku knew of Avaron's inner hatred for society, and that was only because they shared similar views.

* * *

She'd had the notebook for four days now, killing nonstop. Name after name, face after face.

She had once heard that once you knew a person's name, they became more real to you, and therefore much harder to kill. She found this untrue. Knowing their names made them, quite literally, far easier to kill.

Avaron had eventually assessed the odd development. It was highly doubtful that the Death Note had an unexplainable existence. It likely belonged to someone, or rather,_something, _before falling into her possession. What, however, would care to own such a thing without causing mass destruction? Nothing human, that's for sure.

Dealing with something that kills people simply by writing down their name, nothing at this point was impossible. No human other than herself, or very few humans other than herself, knew about the notebook. That much had been made clear simply by lack of recognition or previous action. For something to have such a power, though… it must be a god.

God… god… god…

_That's it!_

The most probable thing to have previously owned this would be a god! Not just any god, either. No, it had belonged to a god of death; a Shinigami.

She frowned. Should she expect company soon? There was no way a Shinigami would simply let her keep such an important item for free. It was likely that she would have to offer the god something in payment. In a worst case scenario, she'll be killed for having used its notebook.

Avaron frowned, tilting her chair backwards and letting her waist-length, auburn hair hang over the edge along with her head. Her layered bangs were brushed back by her hand in frustration. Her bangs, on average, reached her chin and were separated to partly frame, partly cover the right half of her round face. Sighing in defeat, she reached a pale hand towards a cup filled with ice. This was one of the few unpredictable scenarios that she couldn't accurately plan for.

Avaron had been chewing ice like it was gum since she first grew teeth. As a result, her teeth looked more round than they did square, and had small chips on them. Her face, while not completely clear, was not horrible, either. She rarely wore makeup, not even to cover the red rims around her eyes. Her body was petite, and she had an hour glass figure baring small muscles, though not many because of how lethargic she was.

"Hukuku, are you not enjoying it?"

Forget the Death Note; Avaron nearly had a heart attack with that one sentence alone.

She whirled around in her chair, eyes wide. Gasping, she fell out of her chair. Sputtering words incoherently, she pointed at the creature in incomprehension. There was definitely no way to have accurately planned for this.

Seeing her reaction, the six foot tall, pale blue humanoid crackled. It was a raspy, frightening sound. The lanky creature loomed over her, much taller than her five foot four figure, and wore black, leather clothing. Its lips were a dark blue, much like its spikey hair, and was pulled back to reveal the razor sharp teeth in its abnormally large mouth. On its shoulder blades were feathery spikes, which she soon realized were part of its' folded up wings.

"Why are you so surprised? I am the owner of that Death Note, Shinigami Ryuk. Looks like you realized that notebook isn't normal. Though something seems to be bothering you, do you not like it?" Ryuk questioned again, almost mockingly. Avaron needed only a moment longer before composing herself. She got up with a grin, trying to hide her embarrassment. She had been expecting such an appearance, too.

"Actually, Ryuk, I love it! I had been merely contemplating your arrival… though I hadn't expected it to be so soon. Either way, it's a good thing you showed up, I have a few questions to ask," Avaron announced, grabbing the notebook before thrusting it in the god's hands. He opened the book, appearing to be shocked by what he saw.

"Whoa, I'm the surprised one. Never have I heard of a human using the notebook to this extent before. Especially after only the first five days, they are normally too scared," Ryuk mused.

"It was too great an opportunity to pass up. However, a power this pronounced must come with a price. Are you going to take away my soul or something?" Avaron accused. She prepared for multiple punishments, different horror movies coming to mind with each one. Ryuk scratched the top of his head with a long, sharp fingernail in confusion.

"What a wild imagination. No, I won't do anything to you. Once a Death Note lands in the human world, it belongs to the human world. It's yours now. By the way, now that you are the owner of that Death Note, you are the only one who will be able to see or hear me. If you decide you don't want it, though, I will wipe your memory of anything relating to the Death Note. You will no longer be able to see me," Ryuk explained, examining her room. His eyes landed on a bright red apple sitting untouched next to Avaron's cup of ice. Curiously, he reached over and took it.

"Are you saying…that this power is free?" she asked in disbelief, assessing her new information. Ryuk almost didn't hear her, too busy moaning about how juicy apples were in the Human World. She had to wait until her namesake fruit had been properly devoured for him to respond.

"Well, I suppose you could say that human guilt and paranoia are punishment enough. Just know that when you die, you name will be going down in my notebook. Also, don't think that anyone who has used the Death Note can go to either Heaven or Hell," Ryuk warned, chortling.

That was it? Avaron allowed herself to feel relieved. The only price she had to pay was oblivion after death; the absence of Heaven or Hell. She smirked. She was never one for religion, anyway.

"That's not nearly as bad as what I was expecting…" she paused, reflecting briefly on her ridiculous previous thoughts before continuing with her final question, "So, why'd you do it? Why give me your notebook?"

"Vain, aren't you? I didn't give you my notebook; you simply found it by chance. Though to answer the question as to why let a human have it in the first place… it's simple, really. I was bored."

Avaron stared at the Shinigami for a moment before feeling the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. She was starting to like Ryuk.

"I was bored, too, Ryuk. When I first found the Death Note, I was a bit scared, but I got over it. Humans are filth; nothing will be lost by cleansing the earth of its worst scum. With this notebook, I will become the world's disinfectant. I will be a perfect, untouchable killer who disposes of human filth and waste-of-space maggots. Nothing will be able to stand in my way!" She boasted. Ryuk regarded her with a feral grin.

"You do realize that you are human too, right?"

"Yes, Ryuk, but I am different. I am better than the scum I plan to kill. I won't try to change the world completely; it's too pointless and time consuming. Everything will return to normal as soon as I die. I simply plan kill people who most won't miss. I will, not change, but instead… purify the world. If only a little, "Avaron replied.

She liked to think of the earth as an apple; a rotting apple, but an apple no less. Speeding up the apple's decay were worms. Worms like rapists, pedophiles, simpletons, and murders squirmed around the core, corrupting all. Nature killed the apple naturally, slowly letting it spoil, whereas worms devoured all that was good out of the once ripe fruit. She couldn't challenge nature, but if she were to become a bird… she could pluck out the worms one by one. It wouldn't revive the apple, but it would delay its decay. Who would there be to challenge her? Who would _want _to challenge her?

"Hukuku, it appears I was right. Humans are interesting, after all. By the way… do you have any more apples?"

* * *

_Done! I am really excited and have high hopes for this story. However, I lack a beta reader, so if anyone is interested…_

**_REVIEW PLEASE!_**


	3. Killer's Conscience

**Kira's Noose**

**A/n: **_I don't own Death Note. By the way: Do you guys think she contradicts herself too much on her goals for killing? Like, is it believable and understandable?_

_Story Genre: Romance, Angst, Suspense, Supernatural, and Crime. _

**Chapter Two: Killer's Conscience **

A terrible tremble ruptured the earth. A shift in the ground beneath them sent their car flying over a ditch that hadn't been there previously. A young girl let out a terrified scream as the nose of their car crashed into the paved road. The car flipped over, shaking on its back with the earth.

Having not worn her seat-belt, the girl fell from her seat and hit her head on the roof of the car. She whimpered as her body was forced into an uncomfortable position from the fall.

The driver, a man in his late thirties, cursed. Fumbling with his own seat-belt, he hit the release before falling headfirst as well. He curled into himself, positioning himself to land on his back as to not snap his neck.

Grunting, his hand searched for the handle of his door. He opened it quickly before inching his way out of the car. Once out, he helped his daughter out as well. She sniffled, clenching his shirt in her tinny hands and burrowing her face into his shoulder.

He sighed. Otherwise unperturbed by the earthquake taking place, the man pondered how this natural casualty would affect his escape. He paid no heed to the quivering earth as he stumbled forward; the law served a much larger threat.

Zuki Taiboy, the young girl in his arms, was the only person he cared about. The one thing he had gone back for after escaping prison. It had been hard, and it had required much planning, but he had managed. He was brilliant, and much too clever to be detained for long. The law had nothing on him.

He didn't deserve prison, anyway. The woman he had slaughtered was a worthless, mediocre citizen. She also made Zuki cry with her harsh, vain criticism. She thought herself so high and mighty, and so it was his job to put her in her place. Her place was the dirt beneath his feat, where she would stay… forever.

The man considered laughing, but figured that may seem unstable. He was perfectly sane; there was nothing wrong with him. What was wrong with choking a woman with her own intestines? A brief flashback of her cold, blood-soaked body made him smirk slightly. Nothing was wrong with it, not when she made his baby cry.

She had mocked his daughter's art. The wrench had no right. Zuki's drawing had been perfect, and since she said otherwise, she had to die.

Growling, the man cursed the women to himself. So caught in his own thoughts, he paid no heed to the unstable power line posts. They shook violently, as unstable as the ground.

Another strong wave rolled through the earth, tripping the man with its strength. A post on the side of the road was unable to take the intense vibrations and snapped, falling backwards. The power lines broke free from the lack of support, failing wildly as they swung down.

The fallen man grunted, shaking his head as he sat up. He turned to face his daughter but was unable to comprehend her horrified face before the fallen wire struck his back. He lit up in flames instantly, becoming a miniature flash explosion. Once the voltage shock had passed, he fell limply to the ground. The event had only taken milliseconds.

His daughter, only seven years of age, cried out. Running up to her father, she grasped his crisp, charcoal body and sobbed. She was alone and scared. The only bright side was that the horrendous earthquake had finally stopped.

* * *

Avaron shot up from her bed in cold sweat. Her body trembled and she tried desperately to control her harsh breathing. Her heart pounded in her ears. She knew that man. His name was Yazuka Taiboy… and she had killed him.

Hearing Ryuk's raspy laughter, she turned tired eyes to glare at him. This was not the first nightmare she has had. It was doubtful that it would be the last. Every night she dreamt of criminals dying, and their deaths were always as graphic as she wrote them out to be. It made her consider switching to only using heart attacks as means of death, but that would be too obvious that someone was behind them. The last thing she needed to be worrying about was detectives.

She shivered and glanced at the clock. It was only four, but she got up anyway. Despite any nightmares, she could use this extra time to kill. Not to mention, she no longer wanted to sleep. It was a new sensation, for she had never been without sleep before. She had always slept, whether she needed it or not, until now.

Ryuk followed after her with a wicked grin as she snuck into the kitchen. He had soon learned of her nightmares and found them amusing. 'Petty human emotions', as he liked to call them. Honestly, she couldn't agree more.

Strolling back into her room with an apple and a cup of ice, she scowled. It wasn't as though she was doing anything wrong. She was not killing innocents; she was not killing for fun…

Actually, if she were to be honest with herself, she _was _killing for fun. If she were to honestly search her morals for answers, she would know she didn't give a flying _fuck _about humanity. It was all an elaborate excuse to ease both her conscience and her boredom.

She knew for a fact that society was only going downhill. There was no saving it, no stopping it. She supposed that somewhere deep down she believed she could make things temporarily better, but that would never be the main cause of her actions. Not that she would admit it. Just because she didn't want to truly bother saving the world didn't mean she wanted to be part of the problem. So, by only killing criminals, she proved that she was not part of the problem. Instead, she proved herself to be a morbid solution.

Perhaps, subconsciously, she saw herself as a merciless murderer. One that was no better than those she killed. Maybe that was why her newfound nightmares refused to relent. She didn't know, and honestly, she didn't care. As Ryuk more or less said, they were a sign of weakness.

She was a killer now; a killer of righteousness, but a killer no less. Sooner or later someone would catch up to her. She didn't have time to waste being weak.

She growled to herself, crunching noisily on an ice cube. The good and bad of her actions were confusing her. What she was doing wasn't wrong; she was making the world safer. Maybe her reasoning wasn't exactly solid, but that didn't matter. She wasn't killing innocent, good people. She was killing criminals of the worst kind. Who would possibly miss the scum she killed?

_That little girl probably misses her dad…_

"Shut up!" Avaron hissed, closing her eyes tightly and clenching her teeth. Ryuk looked at her in confusion.

"I didn't say anything…" he mumbled unhappily to himself, wishing he had more apples to snack on.

* * *

The dark room was illuminated only by the pseudo light of multiple laptops. Crouching oddly in front of said laptops was a man. Speculations raced through his head a mile a minute as he absentmindedly plopped sugar cubes into his coffee. Though, with the amount of sugar this man preferred, it would be more accurate to say he was adding coffee to his sugar.

Covering the screens of his multitude of laptops was a series of reports and newsfeed from across the world. He analyzed each report swiftly as he chewed thoughtfully on his thumb. Then, without further ado, proceeded to hack into the world's intelligence organization s' files. Once every file had been thoroughly read and evaluated, the man allowed himself a small smirk of satisfaction.

Every day, for the past few months, criminals all around the world have been dying. The causes seemed natural enough: Natural disasters, diseases, and organ failures. However, it occurred too often and too similarly to simply be a coincidence.

He had expected foul play from the beginning. Only a few weeks into this new killer's outbreak, he began his case. He had concluded that whoever was behind it either had a very warped sense of justice, or was trying to appease their own morbid amusement while maintaining a good conscience. It could even be a bit of both, but it was impossible to tell without directly challenging them.

However, to further this investigation, he needed the cooperation of the ICPO. To gain that help, he would have to let them figure out that there was a person behind these deaths on their own. He was well aware of the fact that he was not very trusted, nor was he liked. They would have been very reluctant to help him until they confirmed the threat themselves.

Finally, after taking much longer than he would have hoped, they were beginning to realize that none of the deaths were coincidental. Pathetically enough, they had realized around the same time as the rest of the world. Websites were already being formed in worship of 'Kira'. It made him doubt the other detectives of the world, which is likely why they considered him vain. Maybe he was vain, but it wasn't without cause.

Later on that week they were planning an international meeting. He would make his appearance then, and ask for their cooperation. In the meantime, he needed to go to Japan. It was, after all, the location he believed Kira was most likely to be.

* * *

"Kira…? Who's Kira?" Avaron asked as she walked home with her friend. Jaaku rolled her eyes.

"Oh my god, Ava! You're so oblivious! Kira's the mothalucka that kills all the criminals! He's all over the internet! Everybody talks about him… You're probably the only fucker who doesn't know about him!" she exclaimed in exasperation.

Avaron's eyes widened in shock as she smirked inwardly at this new information. Ryuk laughed at how comical the situation was.

_Kira, eh? As in killer? Can't say I don't like it… _

"You know I don't pay attention to that stuff…" she replied, which would have been true a few months ago, but no longer was. In actuality, she had been concentrating too much on finding criminals to pay attention to anything else.

"Of course you don't…" her friend sighed with a look of annoyance; though Avaron knew that most of her previous rant hadn't been serious. She had likely expected her not to know, and was just messing around with her.

Before much more could be said, they arrived at her house. Saying their goodbyes, she went inside while Jaaku walked the last block to her own home alone.

The prideful feeling that had been welling up inside of her vanished as her insides turned cold. If she was becoming famous, then it was only a matter of time before she was acknowledged by the law. That meant it was not long until she started being investigated. Though she was positive that this would've happened way sooner had she used the same killing method, it backfired because now they would know there were multiple ways she could kill.

Panicking, she ran to her room to look up 'Kira'. Ryuk followed after her, confused by her sudden change of emotion.

Despite the fact she was aware of the danger she was in, she couldn't help the pride that once again welled up inside her chest. They worshiped her! What she was doing couldn't be wrong if it was so widely approved, right? Well… she _had_ established that humans were despicable…

Still, it helped her conscience.

Biting her lip nervously, she scanned the sights for any dangerous information on her. She relaxed upon realizing they had none. Hopefully, it would remain that way and she would have a while longer until the law got involved.

Hope, however, was about as reliable as a drunkard.

Turning on the news, her new favorite channel, she was shocked when the program got interrupted. Once ICPO was mentioned, she cursed. She was only too aware of who they were and what this meant for her.

_"My name is Lind L. Taylor, widely known as "L". To the perpetrator of these serial murders: You have committed the most abdominal act in history. I will catch you… 'Kira', at any cost…"_

L? It sounded familiar, yet it didn't. She had heard of him somewhere, though she couldn't remember where. It was likely she hadn't been paying much attention whenever it was that he had been previously mentioned around her.

"Catch me…?" Avaron murmured thoughtfully, becoming anxious. This was just what she had been worrying about. However, he seemed pretty stupid. Though it's not like they knew she needed a name and a face to kill, so she couldn't necessarily blame the guy. Still, he should have taken some precautions.

The program continued.

_"Kira, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you are trying to do and why you are doing it…" _Avaron scoffed at this. _She _barely even knew what she was trying to do and why she was doing it. _"… But what you are doing is wrong. It's evil!"_

There goes her conscience. Was it wrong? Was it evil? She didn't think so. It's not like the law was prefect either. Even if she was flawed, the law was more so.

There was a pregnant pause from this "L", as though he was expecting something; to drop dead, perhaps? It was doubtful. Very few people did something expecting it to kill them: human nature was survival, after all.

Finally, he continued.

_"You think yourself better than the criminals you kill, but you are wrong! You are just like them. The more you kill, the more like them you become. Have you started having nightmares? Do you feel the guilt eating at your sanity? It's because you conscience knows as well as I that what you are doing is wrong! You need to be stopped, and I will be the one to stop you!"_

That was the last straw.

She had considered killing him before, but only now did she finally decide. He may not be a criminal, but he was a threat. A threat to her and all that she- more or less- stood for. Not to mention, he hit too close to home with the last part of that speech.

Flipping open to a random page in her Death Note, she swiftly wrote down the man's name in English.

_Lind L. Taylor_

She waited as there was once again another pregnant pause. Then, just as the man was about to speak again, he suddenly clutched his chest before falling lifelessly to the ground.

Ryuk chortled with her.

So much for him catching her… though this basically proved to all the other detectives that there _was _someone behind the name 'Kira'. However, they said this was a world broadcast. They probably weren't even able to pinpoint her location.

_"Unbelievable…" _the voice continued despite the fact the man was clearly dead. This just wasn't her day, she figured. _"… I made this program on the off chance that you, Kira, would kill "me". It proves that you do not have to be nearby to kill, which had most likely been the case with your mysterious method of killing. This just proved it. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it…"_

Avaron was beginning to sweat as she stared at the screen that now merely consisted of an Old English 'L'. She was in shock. What was happening? She made a mental note to never underestimate a detective again. Glancing at Ryuk, she found him to be both curious and confused as he, too, stared at the nearly blank screen.

This was bad.

_"Listen to me, Kira. The person you killed was actually a prisoner that had been sentenced to death at this time today… Not me. I had caught him earlier but kept it from the media. Obviously, this was a precaution taken to make sure you didn't know he existed."_

"Heh, he got you there," commented the now amused Shinigami. Avaron glared at him as she inwardly panicked. This was really, really bad. She had unwittingly given him a lot of information about herself… too much information. The only bright side was that he didn't know her location.

_"But I, L, am real! So why don't you kill me?! Come on! Do it!"_

Realization dawned on her face and she cursed. She had been tricked! She had given him more information than she had originally thought, and was about to give him more with her inability to kill him. Anger, humiliation, and fear stirred inside of her.

_"What's wrong? Can't do it? Seems like you can't kill me, after all."_

"He must be pretty relieved to know that," Ryuk snickered. Avaron scowled at him. This man, he was smart… and much more dangerous than she had originally thought. He had known, or at the very least assumed, that she would be unable to kill him from the start. So while he was probably relieved that he had been right, he was most likely more proud than anything.

Either way, this round had obviously been won by L. Ryuk wasn't helping the matter, either. Those sarcastic comments of his, while funny on any other occasion, were worsening her mood.

_"I said this was a worldwide broadcast… I lied. It is only being shown in the Kanto regain of Japan. I was planning on doing this at other locations, but that is no longer necessary. I know now that you are in the Kanto area."_

Her heart nearly stopped. Just when she thought she had gotten away with at least _something_, life had to go and prove her wrong. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to kill this man.

Never had she wanted to kill somebody so badly.

_"The police may have missed this, but I know that your first victim was a man in Shinjuku. Compared to all the other criminals you have killed, he was insignificant. He was also only reported in Japan. This was the only clue I need to know that you are in Kanto, Japan and that man was just a test for your killings. I got lucky… casting my net out in the most populated area in Japan. I honestly didn't expect my plan to work this well…"_

Avaron was breathing harshly now. Ryuk made a comment about L being good, but she barely heard him.

This couldn't be happening!

She had been too careless, that's all there was to it. This man was as smart, if not smarter, than her. She needed to be more cautious. Her body trembled and she stared wide-eyed at the screen.

To survive this, she needed to give her all.

_"Kira, it is not long until the day you die. I am especially interesting in your killing method. I will figure it out… When I catch you! I will hunt you down and destroy you! I am Justice! So see you, Kira."_

The program ended.

Avaron, still shocked, stared at the screen. Finally, a cruel smile twisted her features.

"You'll hunt me down, eh? Not if I catch you first, L! I may have been reckless before, but now I know better! You will never catch me! _I _will hunt _you_ down and destroy _you_! I will prevail! This is a battle of wits, a battle for life, and I _will not lose_!"

After all, with the Death Note by her side, it was only a matter of time before L was no more. She would learn his name and see his face soon enough. She just had to be patient. Even with all he learned today, he had nothing on her.

So what if she was in Japan? So what if she could kill without being there? So fucking what if she could kill in many ways?! He had nothing on her! He didn't know her age, gender, or even her killing method.

So what if he was a genius, for she was just as much so.

"Each of you searching for an opponent whose identity is a mystery. The first one to get caught will die… I will be looking forward to the result," Ryuk mused. Avaron glanced at him.

"I will win this," she assured, having calmed down a lot since the broadcast. Ryuk only laughed.

Humans were so… interesting.

* * *

Yes, we are interesting, aren't we? Things may seem to be following the plot right now, but that will change eventually. This is going to be way different than the original.

If anyone wants, I really need a Beta. Please?

I know this is pretty slow right now, but it gets better, I promise! This story will really shock you guys if you give it a chance. And even if you don't like it… review and tell me why. I accept even flames…

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


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